On behalf of The Division of Recreational Sports, we would like to thank our members
and the greater campus community for another incredible year. Throughout 2015-16,
we have seen tremendous innovation, teamwork, and foresight as we take our first
steps into the Master Plan.
After finishing the Near West Playfield upgrade in Spring 2017, we will pivot to the
major 2017 Master Plan projects in progress: the decommissioning of the Southeast
Recreational Facility in Summer 2017, the pre-design of the Unit II/Natatorium, and
the Nielsen Tennis Stadium Fitness and Wellness Center. We are focused on keeping
the campus community both informed and involved while our facilities evolve over
the next several years.
Although the Master Plan is certainly the prime focus for many, my vision continues
to be emphasizing the investment in our human capital. We have created our own
internal Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee within the Division, aimed
at making sure we have an engaged workforce that is welcoming to all people. We
have increased our employee onboarding efforts by creating a Blended Learning
model to train our 700 student employees, and have cultivated a staff whose work
feels productive and impactful, regardless of position.

4

As a Division, we continue to grow. Our facilities were used 1.6 million times in
the past year, enough to fill Camp Randall Stadium to capacity twenty times,
or three completely sold-out football seasons. We added four new professional
staff and promoted three existing staff into leadership roles. Our Internship
Program is one of the most sought after in the country by future professionals. The
leadership, commitment, and collaboration of our new and existing staff has been
unprecedented, moving our Division toward a new and unattained level in our
history. We are proud to inspire our university community to play hard, get fit, and
live well.
All Ways Forward,

John A. Horn
Director of Recreational Sports

MISSION & VALUES.
Mission.
The mission of the Division of Recreational Sports is to enhance the UW-Madison experience by providing excellent
programs, services, and facilities that promote the social, mental, and physical well-being of the campus community.

•

Innovation and excellence: We are committed to providing innovative, diverse, and high-quality programs, services,
and facilities that support and enhance the mission of the University.

•

Student development: We are committed to providing students with developmental opportunities including, but
not limited to, leadership, supervision, and conflict resolution.

•

Collaboration: We are committed to fostering relationships by partnering with students, campus departments, and
community organizations to support projects and events.

•

Resource stewardship: We are committed to using our financial, human, and physical resources in a responsible manner.

•

Diversity and inclusion: We are committed to providing rich and unique opportunities for all employees, members,
and participants. Through similarities and differences we find in race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity
expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, religion, experience, background, and national origin,
we believe that diversity enriches and empowers all of our members and staff.

•

Health and wellness: We are committed to serving the campus as the recreational health and wellness leader.

2015 - 2016

Values.

5

“WORKING FOR REC SPORTS HAS EVOLVED MY
WORKOUTS INTO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. I LEARNED
HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE SET OF EXERCISES AND
WHY. I LOVE THE FEELING AFTER A TOUGH WORKOUT
AND SHARING THAT WITH OTHERS.”
Group Fitness Instructor

2015 - 2016

ACHIEVEMENTS.

7

A look at the growth and impact of programs, services,
communications, and personnel serving the UW-Madison
community and fulfilling the Rec Sports mission.

MEMBER SERVICES.
We Think Big.

2015 - 2016

In the spring of 2016, the Member Services team began in-person and lively conversations with the Rec Sports Think Big
Member Panel. Our goal with the Panel is to hear directly from the membership base on several topics including daily
operations improvements, equipment testing, and to receive feedback on new SERF designs. We had interest from 55
UW-Madison students, employees, and alumni, with 30 unique attendees meeting 6 times throughout the year.

8

30 %

Increase in Alumni Memberships
Revenue from 2014-2015.

$929,431
Total Membership Revenue.

EVERY TIME I GO TO THE SERF, THERE ARE SO MANY FRIENDLY FACES AND HELPFUL
PEOPLE THERE. FROM THE MAINTENANCE CREW WORKING ON THE TREADMILLS, TO
THE STUDENT CHANGING THE TV CHANNEL FOR ME, TO THE STAFF KEEPING THE
LOCKER ROOM IN ORDER, AND THE MOTIVATING SPIN INSTRUCTORS, I AM ALWAYS
IMPRESSED BY THE POSITIVE ENERGY IN THE GYM. THE SERF STAFF IS ALWAYS EAGER
TO HELP. THEIR OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDES AND GENUINE ENGAGEMENT MAKES WAKING
UP AT 6AM TO GO WORK OUT SO MUCH BETTER.
UW Staff Member

PARTICIPATIONS.
Annual participations by facility

796,248
432,445
267,552
49,747
41,987
5,465

SERF

75.8%
Students

Natatorium

8.9%

Faculty/Staff

7.3%

Shell

Outdoor Fields

Nielsen Tennis Stadium

Lathrop Hall

1,590,000
participants.

Special Events

2.3%

Spouse/Domestic Partner

2.2%
Athletics

1.9%
Alumni

1.6%

Tours and Visitors

20x

Camp Randall Stadium's
Capacity

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT.
Rec Sports values the growth and development of all student employees.
The Division strives to provide opportunities for meaningful and enjoyable
experiences while teaching transferable skills that apply to any career
path they pursue. The Student Recreational Leadership Council (SRLC) is a
committee of 15 Rec Sports student employees who brainstorm ways to
develop students and promote a positive staff culture. This year, the committee
implemented a consistent and equitable hierarchy, pay scale, and merit-based
pay increases for student workers across all areas of the Division. In April
2016, the SRLC organized the inaugural Student Employee Awards Banquet,
thanking more than 100 employees in attendance for their hard work and
recognizing their accomplishments at Rec Sports.

760

unique student employees.

WORKING FOR REC SPORTS HAS HONESTLY BEEN ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS OF MY
COLLEGE CAREER BY FAR. IT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED MY LIFE IN NEARLY EVERY WAY
FROM PROVIDING NEW FRIENDSHIPS, TO DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP
SKILLS, TO BUILDING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY SUPERIORS.
Member Services Lead

ENGAGEMENT, INCLUSIVITY, & DIVERSITY.
Rec Sports held its inaugural Student Employee Diversity
Forum in April 2016. This forum included activities and
open discussion to spark much needed conversations
about campus climate, tensions, respect, and tolerance.
Student Employees were also re-introduced to resources
within Rec Sports and on campus that can support students
in troubling circumstances in regards to diversity and
inclusion. Rec Sports plans to continue these forums in
future semesters.
To continue annual efforts to improve engagement,
inclusivity, and diversity within Rec Sports, an internal
E.I.D. Committee was created. The makeup of this team
includes representatives from all different positions of the
staff hierarchy: from Intern to Director. This committee is

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Fall 2016 Semester Enrollment by Racial/Ethnic Category

responsible for setting annual goals, planning E.I.D. related
events and trainings, and recommending changes to
day-to-day operations to provide a more welcoming and
inclusive staff culture among Rec Sports employees.
Our students are our frontline. Rec Sports values the
roles our student employees play in providing leadership
within E.I.D. in our facilities, programs, and services. We
conducted our first-ever E.I.D. Student Survey this year to
better understand the climate within our staff. Over 85
students replied with their thoughts, concerns, and ideas for
bettering our community. Rec Sports professional staff will
use this information to develop further training needs to
help continue to improve our environment.

Student employee John Pape had an incredible impact in many areas of our Division this year.
John was instrumental in creating the first ever Badger Student Official’s Association, he served
as Chair of the Student Recreation Leadership Council, and served on the core team for both the
Near West Playfield upgrade and the Southeast Facility Replacement project. Finally, John was
asked by the Chancellor and the UW Foundation to represent the Division of Recreational Sports
Master Plan and the University at the All Ways Forward Fundraising Campaign event in Chicago,
Illinois. His involvement and dedication to our Division this year has been outstanding.

REC SPORTS HAS REALLY DEFINED MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN. MY JOB THROUGH COMPETITIVE SPORTS HAS LED ME TO DEVELOP AS A
PROFESSIONAL, AN OFFICIAL, AND HUMAN BEING. THROUGH REC SPORTS, I HAVE MADE
MANY LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS WITH STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ALIKE. I AM TRULY
VERY BLESSED FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOLADES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO ME.
FORTUNATELY, I HAVE ALSO BEEN BLESSED WITH SOME FABULOUS MENTORS, STUDENT
AND PROFESSIONAL ALIKE.
John Pape, Student Employee and Director’s Award Recipient

FACILITY HIGHLIGHT: PTC.
Our brand-new Performance Training Center
(PTC) opened its doors in January 2016. Since
then, we have seen a steady increase in usage
by our members, taking advantage of our
Olympic Weight Lifting classes. The PTC also
allowed us to expand our programming of
small group training, such as Bucky Fit and
TRXtreme, which make use of performance
equipment. Our Sport Clubs have also
benefited from the usage of this performance
space through sport-specific performance
training provided by our Personal Training staff.

LEARNING HOW TO ICE SKATE WAS A LOT OF FUN. I WAS ABLE TO SIGN UP WITH
MY FRIENDS AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEARN TOGETHER AND HAD A BLAST DOING
IT. THE INSTRUCTORS WERE FUN AND VERY PATIENT FOR BEGINNERS.
Learn to Skate Participant

2015 - 2016
14

RESERVATIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS.
Through the leadership and expertise of Karen Lux, Coordinator of Scheduling & Special Events,
we once again increased our ability to host special events this year. We engaged more student
organizations than ever before, and enhanced our outreach to the surrounding community.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.
Learn to Skate participants.

5,000

2015 - 2016

400
participants.

1,700
tennis lessons and classes.

LEARNING HOW TO ICE SKATE WAS A LOT OF FUN. I WAS ABLE TO SIGN UP WITH
MY FRIENDS AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEARN TOGETHER AND HAD A BLAST DOING
IT. THE INSTRUCTORS WERE FUN AND VERY PATIENT FOR BEGINNERS.
Learn to Skate Participant

15

PLAY HARD.
9,426

unique Intramural Sports participants.

Behind a strong professional staff, the intramural
sports program celebrated many successes this
year. We added several exciting sports to the
Intramural Calendar, hosted a NIRSA tournament,
and had two Intramural Officials selected from peers
across our region to officiate the prestigious NIRSA
National Basketball & Flag Football Tournaments. We
increased blended learning opportunities for our
staff and hired our first Professional Intern. These
advances have put us in a great place as we expand
facilities and offerings in the coming years.

22%

of students
participated in Intramural
Sports.

THIS HAS HONESTLY BEEN THE GREATEST THING
THAT I COULD HAVE EVER GOTTEN INVOLVED IN IN
MY THREE YEARS HERE AT UW.
Intramural Sports Participant

Intramural Sports

INTRAMURAL SPORTS.

17

2,302

Intramural Sports

teams in 49 sports and events.

11%

increase in participations.

18

27%

of participants were First Year Students.

32%

of participants were female.

PLAY HARD.

GET FIT.

LIVE WELL.

SPORT CLUBS.
This was a banner year for our Sport Clubs program, not
only due to sporting success but also because of amazing
work in our community. Of our clubs, 24 qualified for
regional or national tournaments, including five Regional
Champions and two National Runner-ups. Our numbers
continued to grow, sitting just under 2,000 unique
participants.

43
active clubs.

67%

increase in participations.

57%

$125,000 total

increase in fundraising.

51%

1800 total hours

increase in volunteer hours.

We hosted and traveled to more competitions than ever
before, while increasing fundraising and community
service efforts by over 50%. Our teams play a vital
role on campus as well as within the city of Madison
by coaching local youth teams, volunteering, and
assisting people in need. We strive to give back to the
community which has given us so much.

Sport Clubs

1,993
active participants.

58%

of clubs qualified for regional
and national tournaments.

MY SPORT CLUBS EXPERIENCE HAS BY FAR
BEEN ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES I'VE HAD
SINCE COMING TO UW-MADISON.
Sport Club Student-Athlete

21

Fitness & Wellness
22

5,076
Group Fitness memberships sold.

3%

increase in Group Fitness participation.

FITNESS & WELLNESS.
The Fitness & Wellness Department continues to grow
and evolve to better serve the needs of campus. Our
Group Fitness schedules have been expanded, adding
more classes and introducing new class formats. We
continued to grow Group Fitness outreach to serve
the UW Housing community, Kinesiology Department,
Student Organizations, and Athletics. We introduced new
classes such as Bucky Fit, Suspension Training, and once
again partnered with the Allen Centennial Gardens to
offer our popular outdoor yoga classes. (216 registrations!)

2% increase from 2014-2015

250
personal training
clients.

90,446
Group Fitness participants.

We conduct surveys and assessments throughout the
year to keep our fingers on the pulse of the Fitness &
Wellness industry. When surveying personal training
clients, 100% felt the program created by their trainer
helped them achieve their goals, and they felt involved
in their exercise program development. Over 85% of
surveyed clients reported learning exercises from their
trainer that they can continue to do on their own!

NOW THAT CLASS IS CONVENIENTLY IN MY BUILDING, I AM ABLE
TO FORCE IN THE TIME TO USE MY LUNCH BREAK TO GET IN AT
LEAST ONE GOOD WORKOUT A WEEK. I CAN FEEL THE BURN, I
GET SWEATY, AND ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEEN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!
Workplace Workout Participant

Fitness & Wellness
24

3,868

3%

1,202 total

Group Fitness classes.

more Fitness & Wellness Outreach
participants.

8 x more

200+

1,172 total

Workplace Workout participants.

participants in the 2nd year of Buckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Workout.

PLAY HARD.

GET FIT.

LIVE WELL.

Aquatics & Safety

AQUATICS.
26

Our Aquatics facilities continued to be destinations
for local and state special events this year. We hosted
eleven events, including Wisconsin Swimming and
Diving dual and tri-meets, WIAA Girls and Boys State
meets, USA Swimming club meets, and Wisconsin Swim
Camps. This accounts for over 10,000 participants.

11

aquatics events hosted
at the SERF and Nat.

The services provided by our facilities extended beyond
swimming events. We hired Aaron Kroth as the Assistant
Director of Aquatics & Safety, and Aaron has made
safety a top priority. We trained more than 400 people
in American Red Cross lifesaving courses this year, and
developed stronger risk management policies to ensure
the safety and enjoyment of all aquatic participants.

WORKING AT REC SPORTS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED MY CONFIDENCE AS A LEADER ON THE
UW-MADISON CAMPUS. I GAINED INSIGHT INTO MY LEADERSHIP STYLE AND IMPROVED MY
ABILITY TO WORK AS A TEAM WITH UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS. I GRADUATED WITH STRONG
COMMUNICATION SKILLS THAT I WILL TAKE WITH ME AS I PURSUE FUTURE JOB
OPPORTUNITIES.
Aquatics Head Lifeguard

LIVE WELL.
104

student organization events.

113,180
special event attendees.

364 total events

19 %

increase from 2014-2015.

2015 - 2016

SIGNATURE EVENTS.
Day of Play.
Day of Play is a community outreach initiative for elementary students. This event shares the “Play Hard. Get Fit. Live
Well.” mentality with school aged children of all skill levels. It is a day of movement based activities led entirely by UWMadison students. In total over 120 school-aged children participated in the two events which included learning skills of
different sports and martial arts, running an obstacle course, dancing and having fun.

DAY OF PLAY PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR REC SPORTS TO REACH OUT BEYOND THE
UW-MADISON COMMUNITY. IT'S AN INSANELY FUN, HIGH-ENERGY EVENT THAT OUR STAFF
LOOKS FORWARD TO EVERY SEMESTER. BETTER YET, IT ALLOWS COLLEGE ROLE MODELS TO
INTERACT WITH FUTURE BADGERS IN A WAY THAT ENCOURAGES KIDS TO BE ACTIVE EVERY DAY.
Stephanie Bruno, MSO Lead and Lead Organizer of Day of Play

29

2015 - 2016

LIGHT OF THE MOON HOMECOMING 5K.
30
The inaugural Light of the Moon Homecoming 5k saw 500
runners along the beautiful shore of Lake Mendota during
Homecoming week. The Division of Recreational Sports
and Homecoming Committee came together to put on
this unique race under the moon, stars and the downtown
skyline reflecting off the lake. It was a great success and we
are excited to continue growing the event each year.

Rockin’ with Rec Sports.
This late-night event for students provides an introduction to many of Rec
Sports’ program offerings and partners. This year more than 800 students
took part in free activities like bubble soccer, Badger Ninja Warrior, a Personal
Trainer obstacle course, glow Zumba & fitness classes, and more. Our campus
partners and sponsors featured a B-cycle race, Fontana Sports prizes, food
from UW Housing, giveaways from DoIT, and more. New students, loyal
members, and the whole campus community are energized and invigorated
at our biggest kickoff event of the year, Rockin’ with Rec Sports.

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS.
Rec Sports Website.

2015 - 2016

Our Marketing and Communications
team has worked diligently to maintain
and continue innovating the Rec Sports
website. We leveraged Google Analytics,
departmental feedback, user insights, and
current trends in web design to focus the
direction of our processes and decisionmaking. We continually strive to provide a
more user-friendly experience online for our
members. We shape our content so that
everyone can easily find the information they
need.

32

707,600
impressions on Twitter.

12,900
likes on Facebook.

This year we have developed a team
of student webmasters who provide
professional support and edits for our
website. Our Division is proud to be able
to offer improved communication to our
members and participants with the help our
our talented student staff.

#ActiveBadger Videos.
Since 2013, when the #ActiveBadger hashtag was
created, we have strived to develop its meaning
for our members: an inclusive hashtag for any
Badger to use during healthy activities on or off
campus. This past year our focus was to develop the
human element through #ActiveBadger videos that
highlighted a single Badger and their activity. With
just twelve videos we were able to cultivate nearly
50,000 views with an organic reach of over 200,000.

50,000
video views.

200,000
organic reach.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.

To complete our vision of a Business Hub, we added
a third Financial Specialist, Joan Kazel, to oversee
cash and inventory management and record daily
expenses.
Two students were hired to help the Business Hub
with reconciliation and reporting procedures. This
gives us the opportunity to introduce these students
to our day-to-day operations, which then supports
their goals of attaining experience in their financial
field of choice upon graduation.
Fund 101 instructional support decreased 4.4% from
FY16 to $387,169 and related expenses were $387,167.
In FY17, funding support in Fund 101 will decrease by
about 2% to $379,422.

60%

of total revenue was received
from studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; segregated fees.

40%

2015 - 2016

Upon hiring Jeff Sailor as our Financial Program
Supervisor in 2015, we have continued to improve our
processes through our tracking software, Microsoft
Dynamics Great Plains.

Our focus on Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity continues to
be a true investment in our human capital. We are committed
to this initiative across the entire Division and have taken many
steps this year to expand our efforts in ensuring we are a place
welcoming to all people and remain one of the best places to
work on campus.

Several professional staff members attended both
the Engaging Employees at UW-Madison (EE) and the
Creating an Inclusive Work Environment (CIWE) trainings
facilitated by the Office of Human Resources.

>>

The Competitive Sports Department collaborated with
the LGBT Campus Center to create a participation policy to
include all potential participants.

>>

Sport Club student athletes completed 1800 hours of
community service.

>>

The Fitness & Wellness Department integrated a diversity
component into the onboarding training process for every
new employee.

>>

Lori Devine presented to multiple groups on campus,
including professional and student organizations and
presented on Building a Wellness Culture at the 25th
Annual Conference for the Office Professional.

>>

>>

Professional staff members represented Wisconsin at the
National Intramural and Recreational Sports Assocation
(NIRSA), Wisconsin Intramural and Recreational Sports
Association (WIRSA), Big Ten, and Student Lead On
conferences.
Fitness professional staff attended conferences such as
IDEA World, National Wellness Institute, and the Wellness
Coalition of America to gain more knowledge on current

trends in the fitness and wellness industries.

>>

Every full-time employee of the division completed
EID competency training, and we created an intern
position.

Complete Phase 2 of the Preventative Maintenance
Plan.
Phase 1 included completion of a comprehensive
inventory, which was completed last year. Phase 2 is to
actually create the plan and process, then implement the
new plan.

>>

The staff evaluated many different preventative
maintenance software programs, and decided to
utilize software which the UW Physical Plant plans
to onboard in 2016-2017.

>>

100% of employees received an evaluation of some type,
whether it be WiGrow or an evaluation by a supervisor.

>>

All students who participated in WiGrow felt that their
work with Rec Sports added to their preparation for life
after college (as reported in the WiGrow conversations).

>>

Created the Blended Learning work team. 3 sessions
will be held online; 1-2 sessions will be held in person.
Expected roll out is August 15, 2016. A future training
and development plan is being discussed and formalized
in the beginning of FY 17.

>>

Created UW Leadership Certificate program within
Division, and students are participating across all
programs.

Focus on student development.
We set a goal to increase our focus on student
development by creating tangible and usable items such
as a Leadership Certificate to accompany the Divisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Student Development Plan. We continued to focus

2015 - 2016

>>

on WiGrow, which measures our impact on students as they
graduate and join the workforce.

37

development opportunities including participation on/
within/in the form of:

Hiring committees

Leadership Retreats

WiGrow evaluations and conversations

ACE Personal Training mentorship

2015 - 2016

38

Student Recreation Leadership Council
(SRLC)

Travel to National Conferences, including
ACE, Athletic Business, NIRSA National Conference,
and the NIRSA Student Lead On

Focus on the University Wellness Initiative.
The goal was to create a comprehensive, campus-wide wellness
environment to foster the goals set forth by the American College
Health Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Healthy Campus 2020 initiative.
>>

Met with several campus constituents to discuss design
ideas and potential wellness programmatic collaborations
that can be created through our Master Plan. Those
conversations will continue moving forward, as we
continuously enhance our recreational wellness program.

>>

One of the key design goals of the Southeast Recreational
Facility Replacement project is to inspire wellness in all
aspects of the facility. We want the entire building to feel
welcoming to all people so they feel inspired to be in the
space and live well. Ensuring that there is quality airflow,
good aesthetics, and creating a space where people want to
be is critical in our design sessions.

>>

The second year of Buckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Workout exceeded expectations,
growing from 80 participants in 2015 to more than 200 in
2016.

>>

Sunrise Outdoor Yoga: We continued our collaboration with
the Allen Centennial Gardens to offer this program.

Continue to advance the approved Master Plan.
This plan has many stages, goals, and objectives stretching over
the course of years. In 2015-2016, we faced many challenges
and continued to meet objectives set forth.
>>

Near West Playfield Designs were completed and
construction began.

>>

Created alternate programming plan for Near West
closing.

>>

SERF Schematic Design was in August 2016.

>>

Began working with clubs to identify alternate practice/
hosting spaces when SERF is offline.

>>

>>

Began formalization of overflow plan that includes
priority scheduling policies for the Natatorium and
the Shell, and are creating a prioritization plan for all
programs scheduled within those spaces.